Aaron Cook (baseball)

Aaron Lane Cook (born February 8, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies and Boston Red Sox. He won the Tony Conigliaro Award in 2005 and was an All-Star in 2008 with the Rockies.

In high school, while playing for Hamilton High School in Hamilton, Ohio, Cook allowed only one home run, to fellow future major leaguer Kevin Youkilis, who was playing for Sycamore High School in suburban Cincinnati.

Cook was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the second round of the 1997 MLB draft and made his major league debut in 2002.

Cook made his major league debut on August 10, 2002, against the Chicago Cubs, pitching two innings and allowing a home run. He made his first start on August 26 against the San Francisco Giants, pitching six innings while allowing 3 runs and 13 base runners in a no decision. Cook finished the season appearing in nine games (five starts) in the majors with a 4.54 ERA in 35 innings.

Cook made the 2003 opening day roster after pitching a solid spring training and was named the Rockies' #2 starter, beginning his season against the Houston Astros.

After posting an ERA of over 5.00 through 14 starts, Cook was demoted to Triple-A, replaced by Denny Neagle, who had finished a rehabilitation assignment. Cook returned to the majors in July, mostly pitching as a reliever. Cook finished his rookie season 4–6 with a 6.02 ERA in 124 innings. His 57 walks allowed topped his 43 strikeouts.

Cook's 2004 season came to an abrupt end when he suffered a pulmonary embolism in his throwing shoulder. During an August 7 start against the Cincinnati Reds, he complained of dizziness and shortness of breath. After he was taken to a hospital, doctors discovered blood clots had formed in his right shoulder and spread to his lungs. On September 10, Cook underwent extensive surgery at a St. Louis hospital, during which the first rib on his right side was removed to relieve compression on a major blood vein. The injury ended his season, finishing with a 6–4 record in 16 starts.

Cook returned from the disabled list on July 30, 2005, when he gave up seven runs and 11 hits in 41⁄3 innings of a 9–2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field. His first 2005 victory came in an 11–2 decision over the Milwaukee Brewers on August 15, when he pitched six innings and gave up two runs and nine hits. In his final 12 starts of 2005, Cook went 7–1 with a 3.07 ERA. For this outstanding recovery from his injury, he was awarded the 2005 Tony Conigliaro Award.